The Authentic Tawney

"Takes a fresh look at the political writing of R.H. Tawney & the authors assert that Tawney's ideas changed markedly through the course of his life and lack the consistency that other interpreters have erroneously attributed to them." Bookbag "The core of this volume is a critique of what the authors see as the predominance in the literature of an 'essentialist' rendition of Tawney's political economy... Moreover Tawney never deviated from the notion of human beings as ends in themselves and not simply means to ends. And the ethical basis of such a position was inextricably imbricated with his Christianity." -- Noel Thompson, Swansea University "While Armstrong and Craig recognize the continuing relevance of Tawney's ideas, they are keen to demonstrate that existing scholarship has exaggerated the underlying coherence of some of his ideas, underplayed the changes in his thinking over time and failed to recognize the declining impact of Christianity on his political thought." -- R.M. Page Social Policy & Administration "One almost feels it reflects current political concerns and conflicts much more than those of the first half of the twentieth century. It is for the moral force of this critique that we should continue to turn to Tawney's writings to gain an appreciation not of his stature, but of our obligations." -- Adam Seligman Review of Politics